Spring sash balance



Feb. 21, 1933. A. F. MANTZ SPRING SASH BALANCE Filed NOV. 12, 1929 Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE srnme SASH BALKNQE Application filed November 12, 1929. Serial No. 406,582.

My invention relates to a spring sashbalance and the construction herein described and claimed is an improvement on the spring sash balance forming the subject matter of U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,669,990, issued to me May th, 1928, and also the spring sash balance forming the subject matter of a c -pending application for U. S. Letters Patent filed by me July 25th, 1928, Serial 10 No. 295,184.

The principal objects of my present invention are, to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the sash balances set forth in my aforesaidpatent and 16 patent application as well as other similar forms of spring sash balances, further, to provide a sash balance having two separate drums on which the sash supporting cables are wound, each drum enclosing a spiral spring, further, to provide simple and efiicient means for causing the cables to wind evenly into the drums without piling up or winding in two layers thereon, and further, to provide simple and efficient means-for retaming at all times, the cables in pioperposition upon the peripheries of the drums.

A further object of my invention is, to provide comparatively simple and easily ops erated means for winding or unwinding the spiral springs so as to accurately regulate the tension thereof.

A further object of my invention is, to provide a simplified construction of the housing and operating parts of the sash balance so as to minimize production costs thereof.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a spring sash balance embodying the principles of my invention with parts broken away and in section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a reduced vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a ratchet wheel that is utilized in my improved spring sash balance.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of a spring that is utilized in connection with the ratchet wheel. J

Fig. 7 is an edge view of the spring.

Referring by numerals to the a:-companying drawing, 10 designates a shallow box that is preferably formed of pressed sheet metal and which'serves as a housin for the operating parts of thebalance. This box is substantially rectangular in form and when applied for use it-is fitted into a rectangular opening 11 that is formed in the stile S of the window frame. The depth of this box is approximately equal to the' thickness of the stile. Removably positioned on the front face of the box is a face plate 12 of sheet metal, the ends of which roject a short distance beyond the ends 0 the box in order to receive screws or like fastening devices 13, whereby the box or .housing is securely fastened to the stile of the window frame.

To retain the face plate in position upon the box after the parts of the balance have been properly assembled, ears 14 meet from "the upper and lowerwalls of t e ox through slots 15 that are formed in the face plate and said ears are bent downwardly against the outer face of said plate.

Formed in the upper and lower portions of the face plate 12 are circular openings 16 that function as bearings for short tubu lar axles 17 and the rear ends of these axles hear on short circular flanges 18 that are pressed inwardly from the rear-wall of box drum is resse into the edge of the flange 21, just eyond the inclined face 22, and the central portion of said front wall 19 is slightly inset or recessed, as designated by 23.

The bottom of rear wall of the box 10 is indented or embossedinwardly to form a circular bead 24 that surrounds the edge of rear wall 20 of the drum and which bead projects over the corner formed by the rear wall 20 and the circumferential flange 21.

This head is for the purpose of preventing the cable that winds on flange 21 from wedging between the rear edge of the drum and the rear or bottomi wall of box 10.

Secured to each tubular axle 17 is the innor end ofa spiral spring 25 and the outer end thereof is secured in any suitable manner to the flange 21.

The forward end of tubular axle 17 projects a short distance through the open ng '16 in face plate 12 and this pro ecting forward end is notched or ,cut away to provide an oppositely arranged pair of arcuate lugs.

26. Arranged on these lugs and positioned directly behind the face plate 12 Isa-(118C 27 provided on its edge with a series of radially disposed teeth 28, thereby forming a ratchet wheel and said disc is provided with a pair of arcuate openings 29 for the reception ofthe lugs 26. Formed in the center of disc 26 between the openings 29, is a smali opening or slot 30, that is adapted to receive the point of a screw driver or like tool.

Arranged between the ratchet wheel and the front wall 23'of the drum is a bow spring 31, the ends of which bear on plate 23 and the intermediate portion of which bears against the rear face of the ratchet wheel. This spring is provided with openings 32 for the accommodation of the lugs 26. (See Figs. 6 and 7.)

Small portions of the face plate 12 on opposite sides of the opening 16 are pressed inwardly to form lugs or fixed detents 33, which engage the teeth 28 of the ratchet wheel.

Secured in any suitable manner to the rear portion of the flange 21 of each drum of the drum and the opposite end of each cable projects through an opening 35 that is formed in the lower portion of the face plate 12.

Secured to the ends of the cables that project throu h the openings 35 are hooks 36 that are a apted to be detachably secured to thel upright side members of the window sas i.

In order that the cables that are connected to the window sash may operate in alignment with the agents of the drums, to which said cables are connected, the springs within the drums are reversely arranged with res ect to each other so that one drum in unwin ing moves in clockwise direction while the other drum moves counter-clockwise.

Thus the openings 35, for the accommodation ofthe cables, are located adjacent to the sides of the face plate and near the lower end thereof. See Fig. 1.)

When my improved spring sash balance is properly assembled and installed in an opening in the stile of the window frame and the hooks 36 are connected to the window sash, the latter may be raised and lowered in the usual manner and, during the closing .movement of the lower sash and the opening inoveinent'of the up er sash, the cables will be unwound from t e respective drums, so as to rotate the latter, thereby winding up the spiral springs and storing tension therein and which tension is effective when the lower sash is opened and the upper sash is closed. I

\Vhen the sash are closed, the drums will be rotated under the influence .of the respective springs 25 and the (-ables34 will wind onto the respective drums.

During the movement of the cables unto the drums, said cables will pass from the respectiveopenings 35 onto the inclined portions 22 of the druins and each succeeding coil or convolution laidupon the drum will bear against the preceding coil or convolu; tion and force the same rearwardly upon said drum so that the cable winds onto the drum evenly in one layer and without overlayin the preceding coils or convolutions, in which event thatportion of the cable between the drum and window sash would become unduly shortened so as to prevent proper operation of the sash. The rear end of the drum operates within the ClIClllllferential head 24 and the latter, which overlies and fronts the rear end of the drum prevents the cable from becoming wedged bc- To regulate the tension of the springs 25,

the point of a tool such as a screw driver is inserted through opening 30 in the center of the ratchet wheel andby rotating said screw driver, the ratchet wheel and the tubular axle on which said ratchet wheel is mounted may now be rotated so as to wind up the corresponding spring 25 and regulate the tension thereof.

To unwind either spring, it is necessary to apply suflicient pressure to the screw driver that is inserted in slot 30 to de ress bow spring 31 and move ratchet whee inwardly so that it will clear the detents 33 and the tension in the corresponding spring will now rotate the tubular axle so that the spring will be unwound to the desired degree.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a duplex sn'ing sash balance that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and very effective in erforming the functions for which it is intended.

The complete structure is very compact, may be wholly arranged within an opening said housing, a cable carrying drum journaled for rotation on said axle, a spiral spring arranged within said drum and having its ends connected respectively to said drum and axle, a ratchet wheel carried by said axle, a spring arranged between the front wall of the drum and said ratchet wheel for normally forcing the latter into engagement with the front wall of the housing and a detent on the housing for engag ing the teeth of said ratchet.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALOYSIUS F. MANTZ.

in the stile of the Window frame, the drums upon which the cables wind are constructed so that said cables wind evenly in single layers upon said drums, thereby insuring perfect operation of the windows when the same are raised or lowered and simple and efficient means is provided for regulatin the tension of the springs that are associated with the drums.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved duplex spring sash balance may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a spring sash balance, a housing, a rotatably adjustable axle mounted within said housing, a drum mounted on said axle, a spiral spring arranged within said drum and having its ends connected respectively to said drum and said axle and a circumferential bead projecting inwardly from the rear wall of the housing and surrounding the periphery of said drum for preventing the cable that winds on said drum from passing off the inner end of said drum.

2. In a spring sash balance, a housing, a rotatably adjustable axle mounted for operation therein, a drum mounted for operation on said axle, a spring arranged within said drum and having its ends connected respectively to said drum and axle, a flexible member connected to and adapted to wind onto said dru1n,'the outer end of the periphery of said drum bein provided with a circumferentially incline d face and a circumferential bead formed on the inner wall of the housing and surrounding the inner edge of the periphery of said drum for preventing the flexible member that winds onto said drum from riding 03 the inner end thereof.

3. In a spring sash balance, a housing, a rotatably adjustable axle arranged within 

